Austin, Texas may have South by Southwest, but every June, Toronto hosts North by Northeast, a festival and conference dedicated to the latest and greatest in music performances, film and interactive media, and is one of the city’s most exciting weeks for music lovers.
The festival portion features 650 bands over five days at venues across the city, so looking through the schedule and deciding who to see is undoubtedly a daunting affair. Below is a guide to some of my favourites, but is in no way a be all and end all of the week’s must-sees. If you’re off to NXNE this week, who are you seeing? I’d love to hear.
Wednesday, June 15th
Rob Moir (featured as a Vapor Music Artist of the Week!) at Dakota Tavern (10pm)
Ume at The Drake Hotel Underground (11pm)
Thursday, June 16th
Petty Victories at The Painted Lady (9pm)
Forest City Lovers at The Music Gallery (9pm)
Modern Superstitions at The Garrison (9pm)
Tanika Charles & The Wonderfuls at Wrongbar (10pm)
The Two Koreas at Velvet Underground (10pm)
Marta at Bread and Circus (10pm)
Imaginary Cities at Rivoli (11pm)
PS I Love You at The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern (11pm)
Sweet Thing at Rivoli (12am)
Bravestation at The Boat (1am)
Friday, June 17th
Diamond Rings at Yonge Dundas Square (7:30pm)
Armen at the Bazaar at Velvet Underground (8pm)
Land of Talk at Yonge Dundas Square (8:30pm)
Emma-Lee at Dakota Tavern (9pm)
Modernboys Moderngirls at El Mocambo (9pm)
Stars at Yonge Dundas Square (9:30pm)
Jadea Kelly at Dakota Tavern (10pm)
Freedom or Death at Rivoli (11pm)
Cults at Lee’s Palace (12am)
Olenka and the Autumn Lovers at Gladstone Hotel Ballroom (12am)
Rich Aucoin at The Garrison (1am)
Saturday, June 18th
Cults at Yonge Dundas Square (7pm)
Teenage Kicks at The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern (9pm)
BRAIDS at The Great Hall (11pm)
Jenn Grant at The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern (11pm)
Dinosaur Bones at The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern (12am)
Shad at The Ballroom (12am)
Handsome Furs at The Garrison (1am)
Sunday, June 19th
Tanika Charles & The Wonderfuls at Yonge Dundas Square (6pm)
Modernboys Moderngirls at Sneaky Dee’s (10pm)
